He’s an avid sailor and she has a heart for nature, which put together created the perfect match with Melissa and Rich. The couple were married last fall in a nautical Southern Maryland wedding at Cove Point. We love this picturesque venue with a lighthouse ceremony backdrop, which the ever crafty bride used to inspire their wedding day décor. From driftwood sailboats, lighthouse cookies, oyster shell décor, and navy and white striped ribbons, Melissa planned a refined yet fun theme that really set the tone for a seaside affair. The bride’s use of bright punchy orange and corals against the navy bridesmaid dresses really lend to the fall seasonality of the wedding, and we love the unique personal lanterns as alternatives to bridesmaids bouquets. A big thank you to Birds of a Feather Photography for sharing this special day with us!!

Congratulations to Melissa and Rich! Thank you for sharing your nautical Southern Maryland wedding with us!

Happy Thanksgiving week to all of our amazing readers and followers! We are taking the week off from our regularly scheduled posts to do maintenance a little cosmetic work here at United at Love. We hope you enjoy a long weekend with friends and family and absolutely make sure to check in with us on Monday the 28th for exciting new DC real weddings and inspiration!

We are excited to share a great opportunity for helping you plan your Washington DC wedding (well, outside of United with Love of course!) from one of our favorite United with Love family members, Katie Martin of Elegance and Simplicity. Katie Martin has been involved in the wedding industry for over 18 years. As the CEO of Elegance & Simplicity, Inc. ,a local wedding & event planning and floral design group in the DC area, she is a sought after consultant for mid to high-end luxury events as well as sustainable event design, floral, lighting and custom décor. Her books have been on the best seller lists for wedding books for the past 5 years.

Her newest book, “The Mother of the Bride Guide | A Modern Mom’s Guide to Wedding Planning”, is her newest addition to the 5 other books she has written. The book is a perfect and succinct guide for mothers helping to plan their children’s wedding day. We love that this book also tackles issues such as how to plan from both locally and from afar. We know planning a wedding is a balancing act of etiquette, finances, and personalities, and her books help any family navigate those waters.

We are excited to give away both “The Mother of the Bride Guide” AND “The Wedding Guide Book” from Katie to one lucky reader! To be eligible, please sign up for our newsletter and special info blasts AND leave us a comment below about you favorite part about planning the wedding. If you are already signed up for our newsletter, thank you and we will cross check that with our winner! We will be a selecting a winner by Thanksgiving so stay tuned!

Also, to sweeten the giveaway- Katie will choose one other lucky bride or groom to have $150 off any wedding floral design contract that is $1,000 or more in the Washington, DC area for 2017 weddings! Her florals are gorgeous and you can see her work in so many DC area weddings featured here on UWL!

Todays adorable Maryland engagement session couple met years ago when Bart played basketball in college with Paige’s brothers. The running joke was that Bart always said he wanted to court their younger sister. Years later, the two crossed paths again making the running joke a reality. After two years of dating, he knew she should be on his team for life (see what we did there?!? ha!) and proposed during a scenic hike in Ashville, North Carolina. Having grown up in upper Maryland, Paige new she wanted to incorporate this into their downtown Frederick engagement photos. We always love the dramatic photos from the creative team at Procopio Photography, and thank you Cicely and Jason for sharing this fun session with us today!

We love how classically elegant today’s Washington DC real wedding is and we’re always suckers for a little glitz and glamour; the touches of gold and stunning centerpieces certainly bring it! Nicole and Justin got married at the St. Regis in Washington, D.C. which holds a special place in Nicole’s heart because it was the same place her parents got married thirty years prior. It is a beautiful hotel and we loved how they used a mix of the hotel’s outdoor and indoor space, making it easy for guests to stay in one location, but creating two very distinct feels for each piece of the day. When the couple found out they could also use the elegant lobby for cocktail hour, they were sold on the venue and not only because they had the perfect space for a putting green to honor Justin’s passion for golf and for guests to enjoy; they loved the ballroom as well. We are swooning over all of the details captured by MBK Photography and thank you to Kaitlin at Cheers Darling Events for sharing this beautiful St. Regis DC wedding with us today!

Congratulations to Nicole and Justin! Thank you for sharing your Glam all white DC St. Regis wedding with us!

The following Washington DC area wedding professionals contributed to their wedding:

As couples move away from the traditional barn weddings complete with burlap and mason jars (and good riddance…) we are seeing a transition to more luxurious and glamorously rustic wedding design and decor. Out with the mason jars and in with the candlesticks and lush greenery! We love this inspirational shoot from Sarah Price Photography for its purple watercolor designs, muted florals, and fabulous signature cocktails. And how amazing is that cake? We are swooning! The barn setting, barn tables, and wooden chairs keep the rustic vibe alive while the design and decor add the glamorous touch. Thank you to SarahPrice Photography for sharing this amazing rustic & glamorous barn wedding inspirational shoot with us today!

The following Washington DC area wedding professionals contributed to this inspirational shoot:

Whether you are planning a Thanksgiving weekend wedding or just want that perfect signature drink to help you get through the holidays, we here have you covered! We love the spicy notes and options that come with fall signature drinks, and urge you to try these for your fall or Thanksgiving wedding!

How much did you love those amazing fall temps all weekend throughout D.C.? All of our leaves are falling and we are living for 60 degree days, boots, and gearing up for Thanksgiving! Today we are bringing you a cheery fall Virginia winery wedding to kick off another week of wedding inspiration. Emily and Bill picked their Virginia wedding venue because they wanted to celebrate their love of wine, and while they met and live in D.C., they wanted to find something a bit outside the district that offered amazing views and relaxed vibes for their closest friends and family members. They celebrated with vintage-inspired and rustic vibes, a live band, delicious skillet soul food, and lots and lots of laughter. We loved the fall color palette of navy and marsala, her antique wedding ring, and the small, sentimental touches such as the family wedding photo display and her use of family handkerchiefs. Thank you to Anna + Mateo for sharing this lovely fall wedding with us today!

Congratulations to Emily and Bill! Thank you for sharing your cheery winery wedding with us!

The following Washington DC area wedding professionals contributed to their wedding:

Kenny and Shelby met in college and eight years later, he proposed to the love of his life in the heart of DC. We often see couples opting to have their DC engagement sessions in a fashion that is the opposite of their expectations of the wedding day to create two sets of memorable photos. In the case of Kenny and Shelby, they wandered through the nautical streets and docks of Annapolis Maryland with their photographer Lauren Myers Photography. We wish them all the best in their wedding at Springfield Manor & Distillery next summer! Have a wonderful weekend and join us next week for Thanksgiving inspiration and more fabulous DC weddings!